If you enjoy books that draw you deeply into the mind of one character, this book is for you. If you enjoy books that show you both the attributes and flaws of a character in equal measure, again, this is a book for you. If you want to learn about the experiences of immigrants,
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS – SULEIKA JAOUAD
So I’ve had my yearly hibernation period and didn’t finish a book for nearly three months. I normally resurface a bit sooner, but, you know, Omicron. I unexpectedly am now homeschooling… again. I love it, but it’s all-consuming! I have picked at a few books – Under the Whispering Door, made quite good headway
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | CARE OF – IVAN COYOTE
I’ve known of Ivan Coyote for years now. I saw them speak when I was in college, an experience that was deeply impactful and that created in me a lifelong fan. But, much to my shame, this is the first book of theirs that I’ve actually finished reading – and I finished it in
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE BEST, MOST AWFUL JOB – KATHERINE MAY (ED.)
There are as many ways to experience motherhood as there are mothers. Motherhood encompasses everything from pregnancy to miscarriage to abortion to birth to adoption to caring for grandchildren. And yet, there are elements to it that are universal. I’ve yet to meet a mother who doesn’t feel judged for her choices, like she’s
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME – TA-NEHISI COATES
This book is short but will turn your worldview on its head, shake it up and set it decisively to rights. It follows in the tradition of James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, a book so short but with such power that it is still one of the most important books on race in
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA – TJ KLUNE
This book is magical. And I’m not just talking about, you know, the actual magic. I hadn’t really heard anything about either this book or this author before. Then it seemed like, overnight, it was everywhere. And I noticed it because, well, have you seen the cover? It’s stunning. But it turns out that
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE ARGONAUTS – MAGGIE NELSON
For a short book, this packs one hell of a punch. It’s a memoir, kind of about everything. But if I had to try to distill it down I’d say it’s a critical assessment of society’s need to categorize people based on their gender and sexual orientation. It’s also a deep dive into what
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE WINDOW SEAT – AMINATTA FORNA
I loved this book. I’ll say that right up front, in case you only see the tiny excerpt of this post. I adored it, I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it, and though I just finished it, I already want to read it again. I hadn’t ever read anything by Aminatta Forna before
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WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH + INT’L WOMEN’S DAY | BOOKS ON FEMINISM & EXPERIENCES OF WOMANHOOD
We are now in Women’s History month, and today is International Women’s Day, one of my favourite celebrations of the year. I think it’s so important for women – and men – to understand the ways sexism still affects all of us. From employment opportunities to salaries, domestic violence, childcare, medical attention, poverty –
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | WOMEN TALKING – MIRIAM TOEWS
This is a book I have been hearing about everywhere since its release two summers ago. At first I wanted to read it – Miriam Toews’ book All My Puny Sorrows is a favourite of mine – but then when I heard what it was about I wavered. I find it difficult to relate
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BLACK LIVES MATTER | A READING LIST AND SOME DISCUSSION
As you all know, protests are taking place in cities throughout the USA and Canada – and in several other countries around the world. The death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who was murdered by a police officer who knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, was a flashpoint
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | BREAKING & MENDING – JOANNA CANNON
Most of you probably know Joanna Cannon’s name from her works of fiction, The Trouble With Goats and Sheep and Three Things About Elsie (longlisted for this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction). What you might not know about Cannon is that she is also a doctor – specifically a psychiatrist. That insight is part
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | GREENWOOD – MICHAEL CHRISTIE
Michael Christie’s first novel, If I Fall, If I Die, was one of my favourite books of the past five years. It was a surprise to me, but one I will be forever grateful to have discovered. Since closing the cover of that book, I’ve been waiting for Christie to publish another one. So when
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | NATIVES – AKALA
About once every five years I pick up a non-fiction book that leaves me speechless in wonder. I’ve been lucky this year, because I’ve had a few of these – some memoir, some topical. This book, however, is arguably the most deeply impactful book I have read or expect to read for a decade
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | ASK AGAIN, YES – MARY BETH KEANE
I don’t normally do family sagas. They’re just so detailed and finicky and full of petty drama and these complicated strands of storyline you have to keep a constant eye on. I find them wearing and exhausting and not generally worth the effort. But something about this one made me want to give it
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER – BERNARDINE EVARISTO
I was intimidated going into this book. It’s long, and it’s written in an experimental style of verse that doesn’t include periods or capitals. I was nervous I’d be unable to find my feet and that it would prove too difficult for me to get into. Not so. It took about 50 pages, but
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | LANNY – MAX PORTER
I’ve heard wonderful things about Max Porter’s last novel, Grief Is the Thing with Feathers. It wasn’t a story that appealed to me, but I was curious about Porter’s writing because all the rave reviews talked about his linguistic ability. Lanny has started to generate similar praise, bolstered now by the book’s inclusion on
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | MY LOVELY WIFE IN THE PSYCH WARD – MARK LUKACH
I’ve had this book sitting on my shelves pretty much since it came out. I was drawn to it because it’s about a woman suffering through some serious mental health issues, which strikes a chord with me, but also because it’s not written by her – it’s written by her husband. This is a
